Tsunami Rangers - Extreme Kayakers

In the mid 1980's Eric Soares and Jim Kakuk founded the Tsunami Rangers, a group of experienced kayakers who paddled in extreme coastal conditions mostly in Northern California and Oregon. They are mostly known for their skill and often times humorous paddling exploits while Rock Gardening in coastal surge channels, arches, etc. In time as their membership grew, they wrote a few paddling books, shot some videos, and are known for promoting sea kayaking safety.

Check our their site: http://tsunamirangers.com/

RIP to Eric Soares who recently passed away on Feb 1st. See their site for more info.

GoPros and Such...

Companies like GoPro and Contour have revolutionized the consumer and professional video market offering affordable cameras for use in action sports and related uses. For those of us in water sports, the cameras have been useful and fun to use while surfing, paddling, etc. Each product performs similarly and have varying pros and cons, features, etc.

Friends have found the cameras so useful they're mounting several units on themselves for their activity. One has one mounted two homemade 1' poles on the bow and stern of his kayak as well as one super glued to his helmet offering 3 diferent pov's to later edit into a more professional looking video. Another mounts one on his SUP paddle and on the nose of his board. Owning only one GoPro I mount it on my helmet or on the nose of my SUP board.

A mounting pole raises the camera giving you a more interesting pov. Justine Curgeven, a UK based expedition kayaker has been using professional video in paddling for years using her custom pole mounts sometimes 2-3' above the kayak.

I happened to start with GoPro which has its' pros and cons. Main issues have been not paying attention to clearing the card and charging the battery prior to use. I've missed capturing a few great sessions due to a dead camera or maxed out card, always a bummer. Overall construction and use has been good. I lost my first two cameras due to mounting uses. One was on the tail of my board. When I fell off the leash wrapped around it and yanked it off. The second was mounted on a plastic wave ski - turned around and it was gone, oops. I usually attach a secondary anchor point with a mini leash if I can as a safety.

What's your favorite camera or mounting technique? Any lessons learned or tips?

Pics:
Reg Lake surfing Skook using a pole mount on his sea kayak.
Tom Hanny using a nose mounted GoPro surfing in the Pacific NW.

Prone Paddling for SUP

I've always said the achilles heel of SUP is paddling upwind. Ya, sure no problem paddling in light wind, but when we're talking 20 kts plus, then it's time for plan B. There are a few out there who insist that stand up paddling means never sitting or kneeling. To me there's a certain point where common sense steps in. A friend once commented while paddling against 30 kts of wind "be a man, stand up." Well, I got to our spot in about 20 min, he took 50 min and was fried.

The place I downwind in Seattle has no legal parking, so you have to paddle upwind 2 miles to get there. Unfortantly the best waves occur at about 27 knots, a southerly, thus for me a haul to get to the start point. I usually follow my kayaking roots and sit down and use a canoe stroke which works well. Another pov is to paddle prone, like a traditional surfer. As easy as it looks, it takes awhile to get in shape for paddling a few miles or in heavy wind or waves, but it is great exercise.

Here's a shot of Chuck Patterson prone paddling in heavy wind at Steamer Lane a day before the Surftech Shootout in 2010.

Who Says You Need Ocean Waves to Surf?

Many of us love to surf but live too far from the ocean for daily sessions. The alternative is to take advantage of what you do have. Here in Seattle I surf tug, freighter and windwaves. Others further inland surf behind power boats. Starboard paddler Dan Gavere discoved sternwheeler surfing last summer near his home on the Columbia River in Hood River, Oregon. His video of doing this more or less went viral from a SUP fan perspective..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXsMbrR5yic

Paddling in Current, the Smart Way

When it comes to paddling, going in a straight line isn't always the easiest way to get there. In the photo below many choose to paddle from the 'L' Launch in a straight line to West Point by the 'X'. On an outgoing tide and/or strong southerly wind, the water moves north to the top of the image. When water hits the point it refracts or turns towards the shore and curves around and heads back toward the point. This recirculation of water is called an eddy, which are common on rivers and tidal rapids behind rocks or sharp bends.

Some call bay wide eddies such as this one a gyro. In this case, the easiest path to the point is along the shore with the current pushing behind you. Take the outgoing current back to your launch point. I've seen paddlers struggling to paddle directly to the point against the current making little if any headway. In summer sailboats racing use the current in the eddy to get to the point when there is little wind.

Current in eddies or gyros can in some locations be too strong to paddle against or may push paddlers away from their intended destination. NW kayaker Joel Rogers described his experience of struggling against strong current in a huge gyro in Admiralty Inlet in his book Water Trail. The inlet is a 4 mile wide channel separating the Olympic Peninsula from Whidbey Island in Washington State.

Before setting out check a tide table and in some places where current runs fast, check a current table. Both are available online. Navigational charts often have arrows showing current direction and speed in knots. Check your local weather and wind speed prior to departure. Wind and tidal current running in the same direction will build stronger eddy current which can be good if it's in your favor or not if you end up 'bucking' or paddling against the current.

2nd Photo below, a gyro (top of frame) below Deception Pass, a tidal rapid in Washington State.

Karen Wrenn Completes 150m SUP Catalina Islands Paddle

Portland, Oregon resident Karen Wrenn completes the first Channel Islands archipelgo crossing battling against tough currents and wind.

Watch it on the Distressed Mullet Blog..

http://distressedmullet.com/the-crossing-karen-wrenns-crossing-of-the-channel-islands

More about Karen on her site and blog..
http://www.karenwrenn.com

http://www.karenwrenn.com/blog/2nd-crossing-catalina-to-san-clemente-island.html

SUP Standamarans

I came across a photo today on Facebook of a SUP catamaran made by the folks at SIC (Sandwich Island Composites) on Maui. Someone commented saying something along the lines of this being a new thing. In truth, it has been done before, and I remember a design by Ron House a few years back.

Read more about this concept on Standuppaddlesurf.net..

Ron House Catamaran, or Standmaran.

2010 Article & photos of an early SIC design.

Test drive video of the SIC S-16 Standamaran


SIC doesn't have this new (green) standamaran on their site yet. http://www.sicmaui.com/